Tulsa Heat
by Rye Winston
Summary: *Sequel to Tulsa Rain* With the gang growing and settling down Darry doesn't have to worry about looking after them anymore. But when his nightmares of the past begin to disturb others around him, he's forced to move past the obstacle keeping him where he is; only to face another once he revisit with people from his past. With the help of his family & the gang will he overcome it?
1. Memories

**So, this is the sequel to Tulsa Rain! I hope everyone enjoyed Tulsa Rain and hopefully they will ike the sequel! I have a few ideas forming for the story but we'll see where this takes us! Make sure to check out my profile for some links to pictures!**

* * *

"Darry come on, we gotta get moving." Violet called from down the hall where she was getting Darrel dressed.

"Dada gets up!" Darry heard a small voice say, and he felt a tiny pair of hands on his arm, trying to move it from his face. He moved his arm to see his now three year old daughter Hailey sitting in front of him, her long blonde hair left down with a small head band on. Hailey smiled brightly at him and her eyes glowed and Darry grinned and pulled her into his arms and started to tickle her. Her giggles and squeals always made his day better, that and his beautiful wife's smile.

"Darrel Shayne Curtis, get out of that bed right now." Violet said and Darry got up, complying with his wife. He walked into the bathroom and went to shut the door when he heard a pair of feet padding along behind him. Sometimes he wished his daughter wasn't so clingy, but at the end of the day he really didn't mind.

"Hail, baby girl why don't you go wake up Uncle Pony and Auntie Lex?" He asked, bending down so he was at her level. Sometimes she was painfully shy and her parent's tried their best to get her away from being shy but it wasn't working.

"Okay…" She said softly and walked out of the room. Darry walked across the hall and started the shower, closing the door.

* * *

The door opened a few minutes later and he heard the toilet seat being picked up and he knew it was his little brother. Since his little brother and girlfriend were attending Oklahoma State and it was only a few minutes away from their house Lexi officially moved in with them. Once he heard the seat being placed back down and the door open and close Darry turned the shower off and wrapped a towel around his waist, walking back into his room and grabbed the clothes he had laid on his bed before his shower, a nice button up shirt and a pair of jeans.

The family was headed to their old neighborhood, for Dallas son's first birthday party. Unfortunately as his fiancée-Shay- got pregnant before she finished her university course she had to drop out to help raise their son. Darry had luckily found Dallas work at the company Darry now co-owned. Shay did work at the Cookie Jar with Violet until she went on maternity leave and after a long discussion with Dallas she decided to be a stay at home mom with their son.

Darry walked downstairs to where his wife of a year and a half was feeding their children. Violet looked up and smiled at him, yet felt a little upset that her husband was ashamed of the scars he obtained while saving his daughter. It was going to be well over eighty degrees and he was in a long sleeve blouse.

"Darry won't you be too hot in that?" She asked and Darry shrugged, going to get a cup of coffee. She just sighed and continued to feed their ever hungry son. Hailey worked on eating her cereal and Pony walked down the stairs in an Oklahoma State tee-shirt and a pair of track pants, followed by Lexi who was in a pair of jean shorts and one of Pony's tee-shirts from track. Everyone ate in silence mostly before they headed out to a house on the east side of Tulsa.

Pony and Lexi would take Darry's truck, and Darry took their new (to the family) 1959 Impala Hardtop. Once arriving at the small house that his friend now calls "home", music was playing loudly from the backyard and once they opened the gate and walked back, they saw some of the gang sitting around the fire pit that had a small fire going, even though it was only noon. There was a pile of presents and Darry recognized Shay's family around the backyard.

Shay was sitting in a lawn chair, their son Daniel in her lap, looking around at everyone with excited eyes. Dallas was over at the barbeque, and turned to the new comers to his son's birthday party.

"Hey guys! Presents go over by the cake and if you can find a seat, sit down. Burgers and hot dogs are cooking now." He said, and the family nodded.

Violet found a seat next to Evie, who was holding their six-month old daughter, Elizabeth. Evie was now out of her wheelchair, but she was using a cane to walk.

"Hello Evie," Violet said, smiling at the sleeping baby in her mother's arms. Evie smiled at Violet, noticing Darry talking to Sodapop.

"Hey Vi, how's everything going?" She asked and Violet smiled,

"They're… Going alright I suppose. Darry doesn't want to go to therapy anymore but I know that he doesn't talk to the therapist. He still… He still has nightmares about it." Evie nodded understandingly and looked up when Johnny came in, carrying his son in one arm and the other wrapped around his girlfriend and Violet's best friend, Tabitha.

Tabitha grinned and waved at Violet, as she was a bubbly and loud person. Since she was Mexican and Johnny spoke fluent Spanish, the two got along well. Tabitha helped to bring Johnny out of his shell and the gang was surprised to see he was almost as sarcastic and goofy as Two-bit.

"Violet! Hey!" Tabitha exclaimed, walking over and picking Hailey up from the chair, sitting her down on her lap. Violet grinned and hugged her friend from the side and when she pulled away she noticed a little sparkle coming from Tabitha's left hand.

"So…?" Violet asked grinning and Tabitha nodded, a huge grin eating at her features.

"Yes!" She exclaimed happily, taking the ring off so Violet could have a better look. "He asked me last night after Beckett went to bed and when we were sitting in front of the fire!" She said and Violet hugged her again. She could tell the ring meant a lot to Tabitha, and gave it back to her.

"It's gorgeous!" She said, before lowering her voice so no one would hear, "And the celebration?" She asked and she saw a blush cross her friends features,

"Legendary." Tabitha said giggling.

* * *

Once dinner was served and everyone had eaten, Shay began to walk around and thank people for coming. Their son Daniel had big grey eyes and blonde hair that he had gotten from his father.

For his first birthday Daniel got mostly clothes, some bibs and some toys from Shay's family.

Darry looked around and took in his surroundings; everyone from the gang safe and in love. Some with children and some trying for children. He smiled and took a sip of his Coca-Cola, thankful that everyone was safe and sound. His only wish now was that his demons would settle.


	2. Hope

**So for this chapter I gave you guys some background on the characters not previously mentioned in the first chapter. Sodapop and Leti will be making their appearance in the next few chapters, don't you guys worry. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see in the upcoming chapters!**

* * *

Steve woke up when his daughter started crying from the room next door to the one he shared with his wife. He got up and went over to his daughter's room as she continued to cry, and he picked her up, sitting in the rocking chair, rocking her back and forth. Since he was in Vietnam when his daughter Elizabeth was born he had felt nothing but guilty. At the moment he was only home for a week or two before he had to go back. Unfortunately Sodapop was still there and he left his long-time girlfriend Leti behind.

"Shh sweetheart… Shh…" He said softly, rocking her back and forth. He loved that his daughter has his fiancée's hazel's eyes, and her nose. However his daughter-Elizabeth- had his black hair and his ears. He kissed her head softly as she started to calm down, and Steve realized that it was probably time for him to feed her, so he made his way to the kitchen to prepare her bottle. Steve sat in the chair in their living room and began to feed her. She was a relatively small baby and most of the time Evie's mom was around during the day to help her out with errands and shopping. He fed her slowly and kissed her head, wanting nothing more than to stay at home and not have to return to the hell that Vietnam was.

"There you go sweetheart," He said softly, picking her up to burp her. He heard a soft noise and turned to see Evie coming towards him the cane.

"How come you're up?" She asked softly, and I shrugged, moving over so she had room to have a seat on the arm of the chair.

"Well Elizabeth was hungry and I didn't want to wake you… You're always having to take care of her all the time and it isn't fair." He said softly and she leaned down to kiss him.

"Don't worry, okay? I just want you resting so you will come home to me in one piece." She replied, placing a soft kiss on his lips. Steve nodded and carried his daughter back to bed before carrying his fiancée to their room.

* * *

Two-bit headed towards his car first thing in the morning. Since living alone he's had to realize the amount of responsibility that follows along with owning a house. Working two jobs kept him busy, as he worked as a busboy in a diner and a stand-up comedian on different nights. His career of becoming a comedian was well on tract and he often did parties, such as work parties for different companies or bachelor parties.

A work party for a school was where he met his current girlfriend, Megan. She worked with the special needs children and the children that weren't as quick at learning as the others. He used her as a volunteer for a few acts and their relationship took off. They've been dating for around six months and she's helped Two-bit to become a more responsible man.

He owned a small house a few houses down from Dally's house and across the street from Steve. However most of the time he was alone, since Megan had her own property she had to maintain.

"Morning Bill," He called out as he went in to begin the day's duties. Even though his day job didn't pay much he loved it. He worked for a few hours before it was time to have a break. He sat down to eat his lunch when he saw Violet come in pushing Jay in his wheelchair. Hailey walked along next to Violet and DJ looked to be sitting comfortably in his Uncle Jay's lap.

"Hey guys!" Two-bit said; waving them over to the booth he was in. Hailey grinned and ran over to see him.

"Uncle Two-bit!" She exclaimed and he picked her up, sitting her in his lap. Violet parked her brother's wheelchair on the side of the booth. Two-bit reached to shake Jay's hand,

"Hey man, how's it going?" Two-bit asked and Jay nodded,

"Good." He said shortly. Unfortunately as a result of everything that had happened with Kessler, Jay had become a paraplegic and he suffered long term memory loss; and his family still had to work with reminding him who they were in relation to him. Jay was also battling depression and he had become a man of few words recently.

Violet smiled at Two-bit and ordered some breakfast for the rest of the newcomers.

"How's Darry doing?" Two-bit asked once Violet had finished ordering. She sighed and shrugged, checking to make sure her children were occupied before speaking with Two-bit.

"He's… He's getting better. I think he's still having nightmares and still… Embarrassed about the scars but… I suppose he's becoming more open with me about what really happened."

Darry had always kept what happened a secret from the gang and his family for fear of them looking at him differently, but time helped to heal those worries and soon Darry opened up to Ponyboy and Violet.

"It's going to take some time to heal those wounds Violet," Two-bit said softly, letting Hailey have some of his bacon. They were quiet for a few moments, until Violet knew a topic Two-bit would be eager to talk about.

"How are things with Megan going?" Violet asked, and she smiled when he saw the grin that came across his face.

"Pretty good, we're still at that… Awkward phase as Pony calls it…Where we can't decide things with one another but I think we're trying to work through it."

"Do you know how many children she wants? Does she know you want a family rather quickly?" Violet asked and Two-bit looked down.

"No… And she doesn't know about Mickey either. I just… I dunno Vi. I don't know how she would react to me having a three year old son. Hell I didn't know about Mickey until a few months ago… But I don't know how to explain all of this to her without her freaking out." He said and Darrel giggled,

"Hell!" He exclaimed, and Violet went wide eyed,

"Darrel James!" She scolded him and the tone of her voice made Darrel's eyes water. He sniffled and began to cry, moving to hug his mother. Two-bit smiled, most of the gang now tried to use guilt to punish their children, only Dallas would smack Daniel's bum, because that's how he and Shay decided to do it. Her family was brought up that way (it only happened on occasion) but it kept the children in line.

"Two-bit I think you should consider telling Megan about your son… The longer you wait chances are the angrier she'll be about keeping him a secret. He's a cute kid with your happy personality; chances are she'll love him as much as you do, alright?" Two-bit nodded before kissing the toddlers' heads before going back to work.

* * *

**To the reviewers: **

**Weasleytwins12: **I did forget to mention Jay but as you read he's in this chapter! Thanks so much for giving the sequel a chance! Your reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Milou03:** I will be including bits and pieces of the Vietnam war, but only what our boys suffer when they get home. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter as well! Thank you for your long reviews!

**Guest: **Thank you so much for reading Tulsa Rain and then this one! I know it's a long stretch but I appreciate it!

**Delgados: **Thank you so so much for your continued reviews! I will try to keep the updates coming quickly, and hopefully they're to your enjoyment!


	3. Run

Violet returned to her parents' house with her brother and toddlers. She helped Jay from the Impala and into his wheelchair, putting Darrel in his lap and she let Hailey follow them in,

"Hi guys!" Violet's mother exclaimed, reaching to pick Hailey up. Jay put Darrel down and rolled down the hallway, and Darrel stood there confused before reaching to grip Violet's pants. Violet sighed and reached to pick him up, looking at her mother,

"He hasn't been much better mom. He barely said two words at the diner." Madelyn sighed,

"Honey he's still suffering from PTSD… I'm sure he'll come around soon." Violet nodded and began walking into the kitchen to begin making lunch.

* * *

When Darry got home from work he immediately went to the shower, walking past the small office two doors down from the bathroom. He noticed his youngest brother sitting in the chair busily working on an assignment.

"Hey kiddo," Darry said, walking in and leaning against the desk. Ponyboy looked up and smiled, sitting back, stretching and taking his glasses off,

"Hey Dar, how was work?"

"Work was work," Darry said grinning, "What are you working on?"

"An English paper that's due tomorrow, then I have to start helping my professor grade the papers."

"Where's Lexi?"

"She went in to help out with the kindergarten class that she volunteers with. She wants to make sure she's got all of her hours." Darry nodded,

"Alright Pony, I'm going to get a quick shower, can you grab the mail if you get a minute?" Darry started down the hallway and into the bathroom.

After Ponyboy finished his conclusion he whistled for Scout to follow him and he went down the stairs and out the main door towards their mail box. Scout followed him obediently, stopping when he saw a letter in the familiar chicken scratch hand writing that belonged to his brother, Sodapop.

He started going back inside until he saw his best friend's truck coming down the gravel road. He waved and moved over so Johnny could drive down the driveway. His fiancée Tabitha was sitting in the passenger seat.

"Hey Ponyboy!" Johnny exclaimed, pulling up next to him.

"Hey Johnnycakes! How's the shelter doing?" With help from the guys and his own savings, Johnny opened up a dog shelter to take care of strays and give misunderstood dogs a second chance. Johnny had managed to bring back dogs that should have been on death row. Now Tabitha had joined him and helped him by checking the dogs before they were adopted to families. Every week Johnny brought home a dog so it could learn how to socialize. Hope, a chestnut pit-bull, was taken in as a puppy and she didn't let anyone mess around while Johnny wasn't looking, especially around Beckett. Hope helped Johnny and Tabitha teach the dogs proper mannerisms and behaviour.

"Pretty good! We just got a new shipment of Rottweiler puppies in and we're organizing another meet and greet adoption within the next few weeks to get them all a home rather quickly."

Ponyboy nodded and noticed a medium sized dog with curly hair sitting on the floor shaking, "Alright, I'll see you later guys." He said before hitting the truck and Johnny drove to the smaller house on the back of the property. Mrs. Mathews was reading a story to Beckett while he followed along sitting in her lap. Once the door opened Hope barked and Mrs. Mathews looked up.

"Hey Mrs. Mathews," Johnny said and she smiled, closing the book and standing up,

"Hi honey," She said, kissing his head. Since his accident Mrs. Mathews had been his mother figure, and even more so once Beckett was born.

"Was he good today?" Tabitha asked, taking Beckett from Mrs. Mathews.

"Yeah, he always is. I'm just going to grab Mickey from the back room okay?" Tabitha nodded,

"Of course, did you want to stay for dinner?"

"No no, I've got to get to my son's house and help him out a bit, and Lucy is probably waiting for me there. Thank you for the offer though, sweetheart."

* * *

_Dear Darry, Ponyboy, Violet and Lexi,_

_Steve just got back today and it looks like I'm staying until the war is over. It's still hell here and the only thing that keeps me going is you guys and Leti. God, I miss her so much. I won't be seeing you guys for a while and now that the whole platoon is back we're heading into the bush. I wanted to let y'all know that I won't be reachable for a few weeks, and that I love y'all. I don't have time to write y'all individual, but I want you guys to count your blessings and not let anything go without a fight._

_With Love,_

_Sodapop Curtis. _

Pony finished reading it out loud, looking up at his brother, sister-in-law, and long-time girlfriend. Darry sighed and squeezed Violet's hand tightly.

"He'll be alright," She said softly and Darry wrapped his arm around her. Lexi took Pony's hand and kissed his knuckles softly, rubbing them. Most men were killed in the bush by traps or disguised men.

Ponyboy stood up and walked upstairs and Lexi followed him,

"Ponyboy?" She asked softly, hugging him from behind.

"I… I just can't believe that he's not coming home…And going straight to the bush." He said softly, and Lexi kissed his shoulder softly,

"I know… But he's strong Pony… And he wouldn't give up on you and Darry that easily." She said, rubbing his chest and he turned around, leaning down to rest his forehead against hers.

"Alexus I can't wait until I marry you… I love you and I need you in my life. Without you… I don't know how long I'd last." Lexi only smiled and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Come on, let's go for a run." Lexi said softly, and she could feel Pony start to grin, and they got changed and headed out the front door, running for a few miles until they stopped at a park bench, both breathing hard. Pony grinned and looked over at Lexi, watching as she slouched against the bench, watching the clouds.

She smiled over at him and reached to take his hand,

"What else is bothering you Pony?" She asked and he shrugged,

"I just… I feel jealous that Steve was able to come home and see Evie and Beth while Sodapop stayed back. Part of me wishes that it was Sodapop that came home and not Steve."

"But Steve is married with a child Ponyboy… And I know Sodapop is engaged but he doesn't have people depending on him." Pony felt a smile cross his face and he rolled his eyes,

"I hate it when you make sense Lexi. It's impossible for me to get mad at you. You should have considered a lawyer instead baby."

Lexi laughed and kissed him, before quickly getting up and starting to run, and Pony laughed, racing after her.


	4. Love

Darry went to the Cookie Jar on his lunch break to see his wife, who now owned the bakery. Since the death of Maryann's husband, she gave the bakery to Violet so she could go to Arizona to be with her children.

"Hey baby." He said, walking over to the table where she was eating her lunch. She grinned and leaned over to kiss him,

"This is a pleasant surprise!" She exclaimed, smiling and taking another bite of her sandwich while he sat down.

"I thought I'd come see my favorite girl." He said winking, and Violet went to get a tray with some samples on it, placing in on the table,

"Help yourself." She said, and they ate in a comfortable silence until they were finished their meals.

"So Johnny told me today that he and Tabitha are looking for a house; they might be moving soon." Darry said and Violet smiled,

"Well that's fitting seeing as they're engaged now."

"Really? Johnny never mentioned anything about it."

"I think he's waiting until the barbeque to tell everyone; instead of telling everyone at Daniel's party. I noticed the ring on Tabitha's hand, that's how I found out." She said, and Darry nodded thoughtfully.

"Well it would be fun to help plan another wedding- if they want our help of course."

Violet nodded smiling, before getting a curious glint in her eyes, "Who do you think his best man will be?" She watched her husband as he shrugged and sighed,

"I don't know. You know as well as me that he's close to both Pony and Dallas." They sat for a few more minutes in silence, then Violet took Darry's hand in her own,

"Have you heard from Sodapop?"

"Not yet. But we also haven't got a letter from the government either." Darry said quietly, and Violet got up and moved to sit in his lap,

"He'll be okay." Darry kissed her forehead and stood up after she did,

"I'm going to pick the kids up early from your mom's and give her a little break. Did you want to bring home some pizza or something?"

"Could you make some of your famous macaroni and cheese?" Violet asked, beaming. Darry chuckled and nodded,

"Sure thing beautiful. I love you." He said, kissing her before leaving.

* * *

Violet laid her head on Darry's chest later that night, panting as a result of the activities they just did.

"That was great babe." Darry said, his voice making his chest rumble; giving away the grin that plastered on his face. She laughed lightly and reached up to kiss him softly,

"I love you." She said, before resting her head back on his chest, closing her eyes.

"Violet?" He asked softly after a while, waiting for her to look at him before he continued, "Can we have another baby?"

Violet licked her lips, "Well you've already forgotten your condom."

"Well you said you only wanted two children."

"I said that when we were only dating and struggling for money. We both own our own businesses now and a house. Lexi and Pony are looking for a place to move to and that will free up the fourth bedroom," Violet felt her heart warm when she saw how happy her husband was, "You've always said you wanted a big family, I remember you telling me that back in high school."

There was a soft knock at the door and Darry moved to cover them,

"Yeah?"

Ponyboy opened the door and stuck his head in slowly, grinning, "You should try and refrain from screaming, it scares Hailey." Darry started laughing as he felt Violet's face grow hot on his chest,

"Yeah yeah, sorry kiddo." Pony just rolled his eyes, yet smiled none the less. He closed the door and went back downstairs, sitting beside Lexi as she watched a horror movie on the television.

"Where did you go?" Lexi asked, pulling her legs up and tucking them under her as she moved back into his embrace.

"I went to let them know that they were scaring Hailey."

"Ponyboy, why would you intrude on their privacy like that? Especially since it's their first time together since Darrel was born." Pony chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. They continued to kiss and touch until the front door opened. They looked to see Johnny and Tabitha standing there hand in hand.

"Hey," Ponyboy said; breathless as he moved away from Lexi.

"Hey man. We're here to talk to Darry," Johnny said, "Is he available?" They turned to see Darry and Violet coming down the stairs when they heard footsteps.

"Hey, come on." Darry said, turning to walk down the hallway towards his office, Violet, Johnny, and Tabitha following. They all sat on the couches once Darry closed the door.

"So, we've found a nice house in the middle class area of Tulsa." Johnny said and Darry grinned,

"Man that's great!" Darry exclaimed and Tabitha grinned widely,

"It's got four bedrooms and one and a half, and a basement!" Tabitha exclaimed excitedly, squeezing Johnny's hand tightly.

"Well that's great! Did you guys put an offer in?" Darry asked and Johnny nodded, "Yeah we did. An our agent called us back."

"And?" Violet asked, looking at them expectantly.

"The sellers accepted!" Tabitha blurted out, grinning. Darry and Violet grinned, standing up to hug them tightly.

"So when do you get the house?"

"In two weeks we get the keys, and then we'll paint and get furniture and appliances." Johnny said, and Darry nodded.

"Well congratulations!" Darry said, and Johnny reached to shake his hand,

"We'll have the first and last month's rent later in the week okay?" Darry nodded and watched as the girls hugged each other and then as Tabitha and Johnny walked out.

He smiled as Violet walked over and sat in his lap, resting her head on Darry's shoulder,

"I love you Darry." She said, and Darry kissed her temple,

"I love you too."

* * *

Johnny smiled as he heard his son squeal as he walked onto the porch of the small house, and he wrapped his arm around Tabitha, saying to her quietly, "_Te amo." _

Tabitha giggled and kissed her fiancé. "I love you too, Johnny."


End file.
